Automatic auxiliary air intake for internal combustion engines



Dec. 8, 1931. 3. U EL E AL 1,834,935

AUTOMATIC AUXILIARY AIR INTAKE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Aug. 2'7. 1927 i Z 5 i EMF INVENTORS ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE GAMILLE BRUNEEL AND GASTON A. BRUNELLE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC AUXILIARY AIR INTAKE FOR INTERNAL C(SMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed August 27, 1927. Serial No. 215,850.

Our invention relates to improvements in automatic auxiliary air intake for internal combustion engines, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of our invention is to provide an automatic auxiliary air intake for internal combustion engines which, has means for opening an air port into the intake manifold of an engine when the temperature of the engine reaches a predetermined point, and which has additional means for controlling the amount of air admitted to the manifold, this latter means being controlled by the suction of the engine.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the type described which is extremely simple in construction and which may be attached to a standard engine with but slight alterations being necessary in the latter.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of our invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which c Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device shown operatively applied to an engine;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the device; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of the device.

In carrying out our invention we make use of an engine 1 having the usual exhaust manifold 2 and intake manifold 3.

We mount our device on top of the exhaust manifold so that the device will be actuated by the heat given off by the exhaust manifold.

Reference to Figure 2 shows that the device comprises a body portion 4 and a thermostatic strip 5 of aluminum or other expansible material. The strip 5 is secured to the body 5 portion 1 at 6 and is insulated from the body throughout the rest of its entire length by a layer of asbestos 7, or other insulating material.

The body portion 4 carries an upright 8 which has a recess 9 therein provided with a seat 10. A valve 11 normally rests upon the seat 10 as shown in Figure 2.

The recess 9 is placed in communication with the intake manifold 3 by means of a pipe 12 and this pipe is secured to the upright 8 by a cap 13.

A bore 1 1 places the recess 9 in communication with the atmosphere and this bore is conical-shaped at 15 for receiving a conicalshaped valve 16. The valve, in turn, is carried by an arm 17 which is pivotally mounted between a fulcrum point 18 carried by the body t and a fulcrum point 19 fashioned in the free end of the expansible member 5.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. A spring 20 normally keeps the arm 17 in the full line position and thus prevents any air from passing into the recess 9. As soon, however, as the exhaust manifold 2 becomes heated it will cause the member 5 to expand and to swing the arm 17 into the dotted line position. This movement permits air to enter the recess 9 at a point below the valve 11. The suction of the engine will now determine the amount of air drawn into the manifold.

In Figure 3 we show a slightly modified form of the device in which a flat valve 21 is substituted for the valve 16 and is carried by the arm 17. This valve closes the bore 14: in the same manner as the valve 16. The other parts of the device are identical and therefore need no further description.

Although we have shown and described two embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of various changes, and we reserve the right to employ such changes as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

WVe claim:

1. A thermostatic controlled auxiliary air intake for internal combustion engines having the usual intake manifolds leading from the carburetor for automotive power purposes, comprising, a longitudinal base member adapted to rest over a heated upper surface of the engine, an expansible metal strip secured to said base member on its under side at one end and extending to .a point adjacent to the other end thereof, an upright having a recess in its upper end and having its lower end secured to the other endof said base member, said upright being provided with a lateralopening communicating with the recess therein, a conduit for air from said recess secured to the upper end of the up-V right and adapted to be connected to the in: take manifold for supplying auxiliary air 10 thereto, said base member having a vertical opening therethrough adjacent :to said up: right affording accessWith the free end oi said expansib'l'e' metal strip, afulcrum'zxtending from said base member in thevicinity of 15 said opening, a lever pivoted on said fulcrum having its lower arm in engagement with the e nd f sa d e 2im s l metal. strip, a valve member on the upper ar nof d l v r t losing id la -m opening -in 20 the upright, and i Spring engaging said lever urging the valve to closed position b-ut 'yieldable to ,permit the valve to-be opened when said ,expansible member is heated. I v 2. In a thermostatic controlled auxiliary 25 air intake in accordance with claim .1, a strip of heat insulating material interposed between s'aidbase member and said eLxpansi-ble strip vvl1ereby the actuation o fthe expansible strip will be accelerated at the start 2,0 and the heating ,ofthe basemember vvill be retarded. r w CAMILLE BBUNEEL GASTON .A-. BBUN LLE- 

